PETERBOROUGH — Two people were sent to the hospital with minor injuries after a driver braking for a squirrel running into the road caused a two-car crash, according to police.

At around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Angela Lashus, 38, of Auburn, Mass., was driving westbound on Route 101 in her 2012 Toyota Prius, when she stopped in the middle of the road to let a squirrel pass. The car behind her, a 2012 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, driven by Raymond MacStay, 66, of Peterborough, was unable to stop in time and collided with Lashus’ Prius, according to Peterborough Police Capt. Ernest Belletete. Each vehicle was carrying two people.

MacStay and one of the occupants of the Prius were both transported to Monadnock Community Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, said Belletete. The Prius sustained moderate damage to its rear hatch and the Tacoma sustained moderate to extensive damage to its front-end. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.

Stopping in the middle of the road to let a squirrel cross is pretty dumb and these people were injured because of it. I hope they educate the squirrels about the importance of using a crosswalk next time.